There are many pieces of electrical equipment that are provided with a fitting slot in which an electrical connector (hereinafter, referred to as a “connector”) is fitted. This fitting slot is typically formed into a frame shape around the connector in a case or the like of the equipment.
In a fuel cell having many stacked cells as well, the fitting slot is provided, (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-200632). In the fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-200632, by forming an L-shaped support part (64) on the upper surface (H) of the fuel cell, a portion between the upper surface of fuel cell and the support part forms the fitting slot. This fitting slot is formed in a pair at both ends of the upper surface and the paired fitting slots are directed to the center in the width direction of the fuel cell. The connector is inserted into the fitting slot from the center side in the width direction of the fuel cell toward the end portion.
The above-described fitting mode of the connector sometimes restricts the equipment design. That is, the mating equipment is required to have a slot member for fitting the connector and the shapes and arrangements of the members of the mating equipment are restricted because the slot member occupies a part of the equipment.
Moreover, the procurement, fabrication, and assembly of the slot member add cost.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-200632 as well, the fitting slot sometimes restricts the design of fuel cell as a mating equipment. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-200632, a space is left between the support parts each protruding from the upper surface of fuel cell. Since this space is necessary when the fitting work is performed, cells and other elements of the fuel cell cannot be accommodated in this space portion.